Nut-lock.



PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

L. M. GILGHRIST.

NUT LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16, 190s. RENEWED DEC. 20, 1906.

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UNITED PATENT orrion.

LUTHER M. GILCHRIST, OF CASEYVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES L. AMES, OF CASEY- VILLE,KENTUCKY.

NUT-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER M. GILOHRIST, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Caseyville, in the county of Union and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inNut-Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The invention relates to nut-locks of that class which are particularlyadapted to railway-joints; and it has for its object the provisionofmeans whereby the nuts of such a joint can be secured against accidentaldisplacement and which at the same time will permit the removal of thenuts without injury to any of the parts when it becomes necessary todisjoint the rails.

It consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts, such as will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in theappended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway-jointembodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view on the line 2 2of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of ajoint embodying a modification of the invention.

On opposite sides of the abutting ends of the rails A are the mainfish-plates B, and against one of these main fish-plates on one side isthe auxiliary fish-plate C. Bolts D pass through the fish-plates and theends of the rails, and onto their screw-threaded ends are turned thenuts E, which bear against the auxiliary fish-plate and clamp theseveral parts together. The screw-threaded ends of the bolts projectbeyond .the nuts, and on these ends is the clamping-plate F. In thecentral part of this clamping-plate is an opening through which assesthe bolt G, with its screw-threaded en turned into the abutment C of theauxiliary fish-plate C, which is screw-threaded to receive the bolt. Thebolt is turned into the abutment until its head bears on theclamping-plate F and presses the latter firmly against the nuts E. T 0prevent the accidental turning of the bolt G, the head of the latter isprovided with the ratchet-teeth G, with which engages the spring-pawl H,secured to the clamping plate F. The structure of the pawland ratchetmechanims is such as to permit the bolt G to be turned into theauxiliary fishplate, but prevents it from being turned in the oppositedirection. When it is necessary to disjoint the parts, the pawl can beraised and the bolt turned out of the auxiliary fish-plate.

Then the several parts are assembled to form the joint and the bolt Gturned into the auxiliary fish-plate until its head bears against theclamping-plate, the latter will press on the nuts E and prevent themfrom turning. Consequently no accidental displacement of the nuts canoccur so long as the bolt G is heldinplace by the pawl-and-ratchetmechanism.

For the sake of clearness the clampingplate and the auxiliary fish-plateare only shown as extending over two bolts, one in each rail. Inpractice, however, they will extend over all the bolts. Also the mainfish-plate on one side may be replaced by the auxiliary fish-plate.

In Fig. 4 a modification of the means for holding the bolt G is shown.Instead of the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism the bolt has oppositescrew-threads G and G, respectively. The main fish-plates G and theauxiliary fish-plate C together with the clamping-plate F are the sameas in the first instance. The screw-threaded end G of the bolt is turnedinto the abutment C of the auxiliary fish-plate C and on the oppositelyscrew-threaded part G is the nut H \(Vhen the bolt is turned into theabutment, the nut H is turned to bear against the under side of theclamping-plate F The opposite screwthreads working against each otherwill hold the bolt in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, the rails, fish-plates onopposite sides of the rails, bolts passing through the rails andfishplates, nuts on the ends of said bolts, a clamping-plate on the endsof the bolts outside of the nuts, a bolt passing through saidclamping-plate and having a screw-threaded engagement with one of saidfish-plates and operating to press said clamping-plate upon the nuts,and means for preventing the accidental turning of the last-mentionedbolt.

2. In a device of the character described, the rails, fish-plates onopposite sides of the rails, bolts passing through the rails and fish-.plates, nuts on the ends of said bolts, a clamping-plate on the ends ofthe bolts outside of the nuts, a bolt passing through saidclamping-plate and having a screw-threaded engagement with one of saidfish-plates and operating to press said clamping-plate upon the nuts,and pawl-and-ratchet mechanism for preventing the accidentaldisengagement of the last-mentioned bolt from the fishlate. p 3. In adevice of the character described, the rails, the main fish-plates onopposite sides of the rails, an auxiliary fish-plate on one of the mainfish-plates and having a screw-threaded abutment, bolts passing throughthe rails and the clamping-plates, nuts on the ends of said bolts, aclampingplate on the ends of said bolts and bearing on said nuts, a boltpassing through said clamping-plate and turned into said screw-threadedabutment, ratchet-teeth on the head of the last-mentioned bolt, and aspring-pressed pawl on said clamping-plate and engaging with saidratchet-teeth and operating to hold the bolt against accidentaldisplacement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

LUTHER M. GILCHRIST.

Witnesses:

GRANT BURROUGHS, GEO. W. REA.

